Year: 2012
Amount Raised: $1,369,147.18

DM18 was one to remember. The amount of people interested in leadership positions nearly doubled from previous years. Leadership expanded events on campus throughout the year to reach as many students as possible. We partnered with multiple organizations, both on campus and in the community, to spread the lime love of UIDM.

One of the most notable memories of DM18 was the vote to fund a $5M gift to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital – the first dedicated large gift to the children’s hospital.  Everyone involved in UIDM believed in the vision of a state-of-the-art children’s hospital, providing the most comprehensive care to all patients treated there. While making this decision, leadership also opted to ensure that UIDM could continue to fund the multiple other projects that sustain the mission of UIDM, like child life support and research.  

While there are many milestones to celebrate, something most noticeable to remember is why we all do what we do: supporting our DM families. Leadership team members initiated a walking group throughout the year to give parents and families an opportunity to get out of the hospital for a while. Our Family Relations and Hospital directors worked tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that the Dancing in Our Hearts video was redone, so every child would receive their own individual recognition with photos. The Big Event experience was extended to the children’s hospital so kiddos too sick to come to the event got to have their own mini Dance Marathon experience.

The year concluded with a tote board reading $1,369,147.18 – raising $150,000 additionally from the year before, a 12% year over year increase. While we strive to always raise more money each year, it is not about the number raised. It’s about what that number does for the patients and their families treated at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Because of these great efforts, UIDM was recognized as the “Most Influential College Student or College Organization in the Midwest” by StayClassy, a nationally recognized group that honors the most outstanding and compelling philanthropic groups annually. A panel of judges from the San Diego-based group selected UI Dance Marathon as a top-five finalist out of a pool of 2,400 candidates.